Escapism
by Han Min Chan
Summary: Mikan hits adolescence. No more pigtails. More cherry-flavored lip gloss. A search for her first love. The subliminal result? It seems that it flared up Natsume Hyuuga’s raging hormones, I mean, love. Oh lalalove. And their kisses? Passionate than ever.
1. Finding my first love

_Major overhaul now ensuing. Re-written._

_Disclaimer applied. All characters rightfully belong to the creator of Gakuen Alice. Well, except for Nakashima Soshi which was created by my wild imagination. Thank you for your support and reviews!_

-

-

-

Mikan Sakura, at the ripe age of fifteen, finally hit adolescence. Inside the Alice academy's girls' restroom, she disdainfully checked herself in that object she hadn't seen in years, the _mirror_. And it wasn't just a mirror, I tell you, it was the _full_-_length_ mirror. Seeing her huge, glowing brown eyes, her thin button nose, her naturally rosy cheeks, her plump, pale lips, her disheveled brown hair that now reached her waist, her flat boobs, her flat waist, her chopsticks-look-alike legs, and her thin, thin frame—it was upsetting to see. She mentally sighed at her image.

But I told you she's finally hitting adolescence, right? So, to refurbish her image, she inexpertly applied a cherry flavored lip gloss across those plump, pale lips. She brushed her disheveled hair, fixing her straight, full bangs that gone wild, tying it up in a cute Korean bun. She straightened up her uniform—a black blazer on top of a white long-sleeved polo, a red tie, a red checkered skirt, an above-the-knee black socks and black school shoes.

Mikan wasn't like this, really. Fixing herself, prettifying herself; this wasn't her forte. She's pretty much lagging behind her generation, you think so?

While those other normal girls make their selves attractive and endearing, she was there looking childlike and naïve. While other normal girls try to lose weight, she was there eating fluff puffs. While other normal girls find desperately for their soulmates and boyfriends, she was there befriending Mr. Bear and the big, yellow chick (wait, she's doubting whether it's a bird or a chicken).

The bottom line is, Mikan Sakura is a late bloomer.

Therefore, she wanted to experience what she should have experienced at her age. She wanted to undergo that stage.

She wanted to know what love is.

How it feels to love.

How it feels to be loved.

She wanted to find her _first_ love.

-

-

this  
is_**  
E**_sc**ap****is**_**m**_

-

-

**Chapter 1: **_Find my first love_

-

-

Mikan Sakura discreetly entered the classroom, but she was gaining a lot of stares from her classmates.

First, her hair wasn't tied in those ridiculously babyish pigtails. That's definitely a first. It was tied in a sweet, lovable Korean bun with a pink pen sticking out of it.

Second, her uniform was distinctly unique from everyone else's. She added extra designs like, checkered arm warmers and her socks were longer than usual, reaching beyond her knee.

Third, her lips were glowingly glossy today. Glossy, all right.

Flirts were extremely jealous—bashing the poor girl, nerds were calculating her beauty—estimating via trigonometry and geometry her vital statistics and the circumference of her boobs, playboys were already drooling, mentally-challenged students concluded that she had plastic surgery, emo students, well, they sulked and slashed themselves.

As to Natsume Hyuuga's precious reaction.

(drumroll, drumroll)

He stopped reading his manga, though his expression, it was blank.

But you know him. Natsume doesn't show any of his emotions. He perfectly knew the emotion-concealment technique. It was as if it was his second Alice aside from the fire Alice. Deep inside, consider him _attracted_. To actually catch Natsume's attention was hard, almost impossible. Only this one of a kind brunette could possibly do that, ever since they were ten.

One eyebrow shot up. There was something unusual about Mikan Sakura today, Natsume thought. Something _strangely_ attractive attracted him even more.

Ah…_Ah_.

It was her lips. It was glossy, plump and red. Ugh, it was a moan. Ugh. He wanted to kiss those lips again, like back when they were just immature ten year olds. It was sinfully red, sensual.

Natsume stared intently.

Mikan? _She was his first love._

-

-

Mikan approached her seat; totally unaware of the stares she was receiving, especially that of Natsume Hyuuga.

"Oi, you're less ugly than before." Her seatmate, (slash) best friend, (slash) Hotaru Imai commented.

"Eh? Really?" Mikan replied giddily, ignoring the harsh comment since she was completely _immune_ to it by now.

Hotaru flicked Mikan's forehead. "Baka. Be observant, will you?"

"Aww!" Ardently rubbing her sore forehead, Mikan looked around and _tried_ to observe. However, her observing skills weren't that great resulting to epic failure. "Guwaah! Hotaru, I can't observe! All I see is people staring at me! How's that making sense?"

A vein twitched.

Hotaru, in a flash, got a super big mallet for super big idiots and smashed it mercilessly into Mikan's super thick skull that can't be penetrated by common sense. "That _is_ the point. You're hopeless."

Mikan still didn't get it after being penetrated by that super big mallet. She started to pull off rants and a set of tirades. But, Hotaru, a good best friend as she was, decided to ignore her crazy antics. Time was wasted. So as gold, because time is gold and Hotaru prioritized money more than Mikan Sakura. So, at times like these, there's always a handy dandy high-quality soundproof helmet to save Hotaru from those crazy antics she couldn't bare to hear without pouncing that boisterous mouth.

Hotaru immediately put on the handy dandy high-quality soundproof helmet, with a design of Mikan's face with an X sign, as fast as she could. The earlier, the better, _safer_.

Let there be peace.

Whew, finally, Hotaru could continue her unfinished blueprints _peacefully_, noise-free. Free from noise pollution, free from Mikan Sakura's genuine idiocy. More rabbits, the _richer_ she'll get. That's Hotaru's "A Mikan-Sakura-Free-World Equals More Money Principle".

Mikan gawked dumbly at Hotaru. Since when did Hotaru invent that out-of-this-world helmet, her face as a design with an X mark on it? Before she could possibly figure that one out, Anna and Nonoko appeared in front of her, disbelief and awe materializing in their eyes.

"Wow, Mikan-chan, you look so pretty!" Nonoko complimented.

"Yeah, yeah. You're gaining a lot of stares!" Anna added.

"Wh-what? What do you mean by _stairs_? My room doesn't even have stairs! How'd I gain them?" Mikan asked confusedly, her innocent brown eyes blinking in perplexity.

Snort.

Now they know why Hotaru gave up so easily with this naïve girl. She's got zero common sense, that's a fact.

"Uh, never mind!" Anna dragged her chair sloppily and settled beside Mikan.

"So, are you crushing on someone, Mikan-chan?" Nonoko mimicked Anna's past action, settling at Mikan's other side.

"Well, uhm, not really. But I do _want_ to fall in love…" Mikan said shyly, blushing rosily in the process.

"Wow! You're maturing, Mikan-chan! Though you need to work on your brain." Nonoko said as a matter-of-factly.

"Oh wow! You want to fall in love, right?" Anna began and stood up. She stood rather quickly, causing the chair to fall, but she didn't care less. She shoved a fist in the air and said, "LET'S GO MAN-HUNTING!"

Two pairs of eyes blinked.

Two jaws dropped.

"EH?!"

-

-

Dismissal time.

While Anna and Nonoko were vehemently prodding their heads inside class 3-D's room to look for Nakashima-senpai whom they've been crushing on for quite some time, Mikan stood along the corridor, embarrassed by her friends frenzied behavior.

"There's no hope, he's not here." Anna sighed, pulling her head off the door.

"W-wait, lo-look!" Nonoko pointed her finger towards the approaching figure.

Mikan and Anna looked.

It was Nakashima Soshi, walking along the corridor with confident, assertive steps, his grayish eyes landing on Mikan Sakura.

"Oh ho! He's looking at Mikan!" Anna pulled her hair in frustration.

Unconsciously, Mikan backed away, but not that noticeable. She was scared, she didn't like the aura of the guy. There were some rumors that students from class 3-D were very dangerous and they possess unusual alices. And from the looks of it, he looked scary enough with a dirty blonde hair, grey eyes and piercings.

Nakashima Soshi stopped in front of Mikan Sakura, not too close though and not too far in any way.

"Hey, baby, what's your name?" Soshi purred seductively. However, the seducing did not work at all to Mikan.

Mikan shivered. _Eeep._

Soshi reached out, tried to touch her.

A hand shot up out of nowhere, slapping away Soshi's hand.

"Don't _touch_ her, Soshi." A low, guttural voice began arrogantly. "She's mine." The owner of the low, guttural voice possessively wrapped a hand around Mikan's shoulders.

_What?_ Mikan was shocked to even speak. She knew that low, guttural voice.

It was Natsume Hyuuga.

She did not dare to look, keeping him from seeing her already red, _red_ face.

Soshi rubbed his sore hand, shocked. "Really, Natsume-chi? I always thought you were homo!" He chuckled.

Natsume fought the urge to burn his mouth and fry his tongue. Instead, he smirked sinisterly. "Well, you thought wrong."

Large hands roughly grabbed a hold of Mikan's head, turning her head to face him.

Natsume first looked at her brown orbs glazed with wonder and shock which looked back at him.

Then slowly, down to her glossy lips, he smelled something and what was that?

Ah, the smell of cherries. Tempting. Addicting.

"Oi-oi! Wha-what—" Mikan opened her mouth to protest but was met with a wonderful, _palpitating_ sensation.

Their friends gawked with utter disbelief.

Nonoko's jaw dropped all the way down to the floor, Anna's eyes widened like pancakes and Soshi turned into statue

Oh, Mikan's reaction?

No words can explain such shock and horror.

Natsume hungrily, eagerly crashed his hungry mouth into hers, those soft, plumpy, glossy, cherry-flavored lips. He closed his eyes to relish his senses, taking in the pleasure. His fingers entangling with her auburn hair.

Tempting.

Addicting.

Mikan's eyes were wide with shock and wide with pleasure all the same. Her spine tingling with unknown threads of desire. She wanted to close her eyes as well but her shock overcame that will.

The pleasure did not last long, though. Natsume pulled away quickly.

Crimson red eyes looked straight at chocolate brown eyes, an indefinite emotion appeared blurrily in those crimson red orbs.

With him, looking at her like this, for some unknown reason, her heart _skipped_ a beat.

_Could it be…_

"Homo-janai, wa." Natsume said, before disappearing, leaving a shocked Mikan behind.

A few seconds later, thunder roared.

The sky cracked open.

And Mikan, fangs and horns grew fast from her body.

How dare he kiss her like that and walk away like nothing happened? _That bastard! _

"NATSUME-TEME!" Mikan screeched.

She needed an explanation. An explanation as to how it all happened, how he managed to make her heart _throb_ like that.

…_that I found my first love?_

-

-

-

this  
is_**  
E**_sc**ap****is**_**m**_

_**Till next time!  
Review? Super appreciated!  
Sankyuu! ^-^V**_

-

-

-


	2. Fallen hopes, ignored wishes

_It's been a month since my last update and I'm truly sorry about it! I will try my best to be more productive and less lazy. Thank you for your support anyway! The next chapters will finally be more tangible since this chapter and the past served as a warm-up to further modulate the main story. XDD  
_

_Standard disclaimer applied. _

-

-

Brown eyes gleamed over with anxiety, frenzied. Her eyes, searching, _searching_. Weighty footsteps were heavy with unusual obscurity. Her eyes, searching, searching.

Where are _you_?

Boldly, Mikan Sakura strutted the North forest. Exploring the perilous region, she searched. Left to right. Side to side. The atmosphere grew darker as she plunged deeper.

Where are _you_?

She was suffocating as each second trickled painfully like a blade. Where where _where_?

_I need to see you. I need to._

She couldn't breathe. Oxygen deficiently losing. _Please please, I need to see you! _

Seeing a figure lying behind the big, old Sakura tree, she ran frantically towards the said tree.

_I need to see—_

Falling pink petals, erratically filling up the world with a scenic view.

Closer, closer. Everything was _restoring_. Closer, closer.

Subtly, in a shot, she stopped.

Found it.

Mikan wasn't suffocating any longer, finally being able to breathe—her blood, the oxygen was restored.

She finally found her heart.

—_Natsume Hyuuga._

And her heart, started beating again.

-

-

this

is

**E**_sc_**a**_**p**__i__s_m

-

**Chapter 2: **_Petals of fallen hopes, ignored wishes_

**-**

-

Lazed leniently under the dim shade of the aged Sakura tree was Natsume Hyuuga, _obviously_ asleep, his back rested on the ground, his hands placed casually behind his head, his legs outstretched.

Pink petals descended, unhurriedly, _deliberately_.

Mikan Sakura stood beside the left side of Natsume Hyuuga. She observed how those petals twirl in the air, how those petals land gracefully on the ground, how _some_ of those petals lay beautifully on Natsume and how it _contrasted_ his appearance. It was _amazingly_ beautiful. And she couldn't help but glance at that handsomely constructed face.

Unhurriedly, deliberately, she descended.

Tucking some of the astray strands behind her ear, Mikan got down on her knees as she sat on her calves. Silently observing, in discreetness, she _looked_ at Natsume Hyuuga. She gazed innocently at how his chest naturally moved up and down. Her gaze lifted up to that _shockingly_ handsome face, too good… too good to _look_ at that it caused a _riot_ inside her, so much so that her heart wildly thumped against her ribs.

Pink petals, unevenly falling.

That face…a pallid face cased by dark raven locks. His lids closed, covering those emotionless yet dazzling crimson orbs. He was _shockingly_ handsome of some sorts, indeed. It was so _surreal_ to look at him like this, just like this—asleep peacefully with a peaceful, _pretty_ face.

Unbelievable. It was like looking at a beautiful, beautiful picture. You can look at it, but just looking and _looking_, not actually _feeling_ it.

Making sense?

His personality was awfully intimidating. That hindered her from reaching out, _connecting_. Because, he is cold and arrogant.

_Despite that_… Her heart was still hauled, captured.

Pink petals twirled in the air, unhurriedly.

She lifted her hand to touch that seemingly _unreachable_ face, caressing that face with _softness_.

_Why?_

_Why…_

…_why?_

Mikan withdrew her hand when, halfway, another hand shot up to grab it snugly. Startled, she gasped.

"If you're planning to harass me, make sure I'm awake." That husky voice. "There's no thrill when I'm defenseless." And that smirk.

She stared, wide-eyed, at the _supposedly_ sleeping being. Her face red, emulating incredulity. "Well, I-I, well…that is not the point _hereeee_!

"What?"

"...Err, uh." She began. "Why? Why did you _kiss_ me?"

His grip on her hand tightened. "…"

She was hoping, still _hoping_ and will be hoping for him to open and unlock his heart.

"Do I need a reason?"

And she was hoping, still _hoping_ and will be hoping that he would let her in.

Pink petals falling unhurriedly, deliberately like fallen hopes, ignored wishes.

But he grasped that one solitary pink petal. Catching that fallen hope. Heeding that ignored wish.

He sat up and looked at her with those piercing red orbs that invisibly imprisoned her heart. "Because, it's you." His hand tugged hers and pulled her close. "It's _you_."

_It's you._

Locked into his embrace, her face buried on his chest, Mikan's heart was blown away. Just like how the wind dispersed the pink petals. And he caught it. Just like how he grasped that one solitary pink petal.

Pink petals descended, unhurriedly, _deliberately_.

It's you.

-

-

The preface started.

Strings plucked methodically, the chilling, frightening sound of electrical guitar.

Spotlights turned on.

The thump, pounding beat of the drums.

The uneven, jerky notes of the bass.

A hoarse, guttural voice sang, enchanting_, seducing._

_A wintry sky and the broken streetlight cold wind.  
Unknown shadow the footprint of desertion.  
Freedom was taken._

Mumbling screams.

A yell of grief.

People reaching out just to touch that sexy, sexy voice.

_If it wakes up a gloomy ceiling.  
A laughing voice sinks in the eardrum _

_It is soiled and violence _

_Rapes me, rapes me, rapes me._

Another set of mumbling screams.

A yell of grief.

More people reaching out. That sexy, sexy voice.

Vigorous drum beats.

_An understanding is impossible  
Why was I chosen? Someone should answer..._

_Please answer me it is a horrible dream  
How much should I shout, writhe and suffer?  
Please tell me it is a horrible dream  
I shouted many times with losing voice_

The vocalist, his body sexily rocked back and forth—along with the sorrow, grief, sufferings.

A smoky, dark fog emerged to mystify the song.

More bodies reached out. That sexy, sexy voice.

Interlude started.

The bass, guitar, drums—all fused to uphold that strong, dark metal sound.

The guitar solo.

_There is no hand of preparing of the disordered hair.  
A laughing voice sinks in the eardrum a faint temperature is mixed in the midwinter_

Mumbling screams, heart-wrenching.

_I persuaded myself, who had a dying voice and began writhing.  
Not to lose for living._

_I was drowned in the night when I feared and had a dying voice.  
Please forgive my dying breath._

_Please answer me it is a horrible dream.  
How much should I shout, writhe and suffer?  
Please tell me it is a horrible dream.  
I want to smile again at last_

An overture to the end.

Guitar solo.

Four figures situated at the stage.

"Thank you! We're _Taion. _Good night!"

The crowd cheered.

Then the four figures dissipated quietly.

-

-

"Job well done! Job well done!" A spiky, white haired guy with dark obsidian eyes said, clapping his hands giddily.

_CLICK! Mizushima Yuya's 'pre-debut' picture._

**NAME:** Mizushima Yuya**  
AGE:** 18**  
GENDER: **HOMOSE...HOMOSAPIEN**  
CIVIL STATUS: **It's complicated**  
EYE COLOR:** Black**  
HAIR COLOR:** White**  
HEIGHT:** 184 cm**  
WEIGHT**: 110 lbs**  
INSTRUMENT: **Guitar

"Of course, all thanks to our new member, right?" Hamasaki Keigo swanked, assertively placing an arm around Natsume Hyuuga's shoulder.

_CLICK! Hamasaki Keigo's 'before plastic surgery' picture._

**NAME:** Hamasaki Keigo**  
AGE:** 19**  
GENDER: **Bisexual**  
CIVIL STATUS: **Married**  
EYE COLOR:** Blue**  
HAIR COLOR:** Peach**  
HEIGHT:** 168 cm**  
WEIGHT**: 121 lbs**  
INSTRUMENT: **Bass

"He will serve as the key to our success! I can see our future brightly shining through the eyes of Natsume. This gig will surely be our stepping stone to stardom!" Nakashima Soshi commented, his hands making gestures to give more stress, his eyes gleaming with hope and aspiration.

_CLICK! Nakashima Soshi's 'before liposuction operation' picture._

**NAME:** Nakashima Soshi**  
AGE:** 19**  
GENDER: **Metrosexual (?)**  
CIVIL STATUS: **Divorced**  
EYE COLOR:** Gray**  
HAIR COLOR:** Dirty Blonde**  
HEIGHT:** 158 cm**  
WEIGHT**: 399 lbs before, 101 lbs after**  
INSTRUMENT: **Drums

"You totally gave the band a major face-lift, Natsume-chi!" Yuya, the rumored homosexual but denied it and said he was a homo sapien, said.

Natsume twitched. The affectionate suffix irking him. Though bad energies started to flow out of him and a very strong urge to pounce Yuya was clearly visible, he placed his electrical guitar inside its case instead.

"Yeah, yeah. Before, we only have family, friends plus a couple of cockroaches as audience. But now, you brought babes, man, _babes_! If you just saw how those women drool! Most of them looked like they just experienced eternal orgasm! Oh yeah!" Keigo shoved his hands upward and swayed them like a complete idiot.

"My theory is, only a percent of the audience is a fan of Yuya, 2 percent of it is a fan of Keigo, 3 percent of it is my fans and the rest of it is your fans, Hyuuga _boy_." Soshi teased, elbowing Natsume to further tease the boy.

"Tch." Natsume grunted irritably.

"Tsk. Na-uh! You shouldn't be like that, Hyuuga _boy_! Smile! Smile! You could dazzle tons of fan girls with that smile!" Keigo held Natsume's cheeks and pulled it without constraint, causing the boy to forcefully smile.

_CLICK! Natsume's 'forced smile' picture_

**NAME:** Natsume Hyuuga**  
AGE:** 16**  
GENDER: **Heterosexual**  
CIVIL STATUS: **In a Relationship**  
EYE COLOR:** Red**  
HAIR COLOR:** Raven**  
HEIGHT:** 186 cm**  
WEIGHT**: 120 lbs**  
INSTRUMENT: **Guitar and Vocals

-

-

_Pink petals descended, unhurriedly, deliberately._

"_Let's date." Natsume proclaimed unashamedly. More of, commanded._

_Bleakly freeing herself from the embrace, she stared, shocked._

_A face of mortification. "WHAT?"_

_Smirk. "I said, let's date, polka." _

_Mikan looked away. "Bu-but, it's too sudden."_

"_Playing hard to get, eh?" More smirk. _

"_I AM NOT PLAYING HARD TO G—"  
_

_KISS. _

"_Fine." _

-

-

this

is

**E**_sc_**a**_**p**__i__s_m

-

_JA~! Until next time._

-

_-_


End file.
